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- Mar 19, 2019
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Here are three areas to watch in Sunday's contest, as compiled by Eric Smith and Craig Peters of Vikings.com:
A pair of rookie stars | By @Eric_L_Smith
There were a whopping six wide receivers taken in the first round of the 2020 NFL Draft, and arguably the top two standouts thus far will be on display Sunday.
Justin Jefferson — the 22nd overall pick — is not only one of the top rookie wide receivers in the league, but is also one of the league's best overall first-year players. CeeDee Lamb, whom Dallas selected at the 17th spot, has also proven to be a star.
Through nine games, both players have three scores. Jefferson leads all rookies with 762 receiving yards (on 42 catches), while Lamb has a rookie-best 44 receptions for 595 yards.
Jefferson said this week while he doesn't know Lamb well, he did notice his big plays at Oklahoma.
"We never really talked that much or anything, but I definitely watched him and saw his play in college," Jefferson said. "He's definitely a tremendous receiver, and I'm looking forward to seeing what the defense has for him this week."
Added Vikings Head Coach Mike Zimmer: "He's a long, wiry guy that catches the ball well and has great speed. Runs a lot of routes, especially out of the slot. They isolate him quite a bit on the nickel backs and linebackers. Does a really good job, he's a good football player."
Jefferson is having perhaps the best rookie season for a wide receiver since Randy Moss in 1998, when the Hall of Famer had 69 catches for 1,313 yards and a rookie-record 17 scores.
Jefferson may not get to the touchdown mark, but he's on pace to pass Moss in the other two categories.
"It's a dream come true to be performing on this level in the NFL and just being in this place and being blessed with the things that I've been doing so far," Jefferson said this week. "It's definitely all good and all, but we're just focused on winning out this season and getting a chance to win the Super Bowl."